A Pines Family Kosher Christmas
by marehami
Summary: Great-Aunt Janice comes down to spend the holidays with the Pines family, but the families clash over which holiday to celebrate. When an emergency strikes they discover it's not the name of the holiday, but the heart that matters most. Part of the Adoption AU and collab with That Gravity Falls Fan. This story takes the place of the Rescue Me Dark AU, which has been canceled
1. Surprising Invitation

" _Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel, I made it out of clay, and when it's dry and ready with Dreidel I shall play!"_ Mabel Pines loudly sang as she gave the old family Dreidel a good hard spin. It danced across the floor of the mystery shack for several minutes before tilting on its side.

"GIMEL!" she exclaimed happily, "alright suckers, fork over the goods!"

Her family gave playful annoyed groans as they handed over their raisins.

"Here, you take them sis! Lord knows I don't want em….how long have you kept these raisins Stan?"

"Eh…either since '81 or '82…I forget!"

Dipper gagged as Mabel fearlessly plopped a raisin in her mouth.

"Honestly Stanley, I know you're cheap, but surely fresh raisins aren't too much of an inconvenience!" Ford scolded.

"Hey! The kids said they wanted to celebrate an authentic Hanukkah this year. Just like when we were kids. I'm simply following through with their wishes! And besides, you know as well as I do pops was the only man on earth cheaper than me! His raisins had to be at least 100 years old!"

Ford smiled wistfully, "and mom's latkes always filled the house with the smell of…." The blaring of the smoke alarm cut off Ford.

"SHOOT!" Ford shouted as he rushed to the kitchen to try to salvage the pancakes.

It appeared to be a lost cause as Ford came back a few moments later with a bunch of black circles that looked like they once had hopes of becoming pancakes, but those hopes were dead.

Stan took a deep wift, "Wow. I'm impressed sixer! Mom would be so proud that one of her sons took on cooking so well!"

Ford gave a sad smile as Mabel tore a piece off and ate it, totally content.

The three men smiled at the girl. This whole thing had been her idea, and while no one was saying it out loud, they knew it had to do with her cancer scare earlier this year. The whole thing hadn't broken Mabel's spirit, but it had made her a great deal more reflective on life. The fact she almost lost hers gave her a feeling of being given a second chance at life and she wanted to live it to its fullest potential. She had insisted that they celebrate an authentic Hanukkah this year. Despite the fact that Stan and Ford hadn't stepped foot in a Synagogue in years, and Dipper and Mabel weren't even full-blooded Jews. Their father had been one, while their mother was a Protestant.

 _Speaking of their mother_.

The ring of the landline phone interrupted the family.

Everyone knew what that meant.

Stan got up and answered the phone in his kindest and most sincere voice answered.

"Hello Janice, how are you today?"

"Stanley! Glad that you are home, how are my favorite great-niece and nephew?"

"Fantastic Janice,"

"HI GRAUNTY JANICE!" Dipper and Mabel called from the living room.

"You wanna talk to them? I'm sure they would _love_ to talk to you!" Stan said as he motioned for the kids to come and relieve him from the conversation.

"Oh no Stanley, that's not necessary. I actually have a wonderful surprise for all of you! My flight to Hawaii got canceled!"

That didn't sound like great news to Stan.

"I've decided to come down and spend Christmas with all of you!"

"Great," Stan managed through gritted teeth.

"Of course I will be needing a place to stay! None of the hotels in that back-woods town are up to my standards, besides room service will be slow through the holidays!" Janice continued.

Stan was about to quip that the shack was no hotel and that they had better things to do than wait on her hand and foot, but then he caught sight of his daughter.

She was laughing and smiling and had that beautiful natural glow on her face. Her hair had grown into an adorable bob. She looked totally different than she had just a few months ago, when she appeared to be right on death's door. Slowly but surely, the beautiful, strong and brave little girl he had known prior to that ordeal was retuning.

Stan knew that he owed a great deal of his daughter's recovery to Janice. He would never have been able to cover those medical fees on his own. Janice with her deep pockets relived him of that worry which had given him more time to focus on Mabel's recovery.

Sure, she was demanding and her personality clashed with his and Ford's, but she was family. She loved Dipper and Mabel almost as much as they did, and she provided the poor kids a mirror to their mother's side of the family. They deserved to have a relationship with her now.

His eyes also caught sight of the adoption certificates hanging on the mantel. This time there was no way that she could ever take Dipper or Mabel away from he and Ford. Those kids were theirs, and no one could take that away.

Stan took a deep breath before he finally spoke, "we'd love to have you for the holidays Janice,"


	2. Janice Comes to Town

The four Pines spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the house. Stan and Ford may not agree with Janice on much of anything, but she had given them the greatest gift in the world by allowing them to adopt Dipper and Mabel. They figured the very least they could do was try their hardest to make their house comfortable for her. Even if by her standards, the Mystery Shack was a dump.

Mabel was shining up the old family Menorah when Dipper remembered something.

"Mabel, do you think we should put that away? I think I remember mom once telling us Graunty Janice wasn't the biggest fan of Hanukkah…"

Mabel brushed it off and smiled, "Graunty Janice isn't the biggest fan of _anything_ until she gets used to it Dipper! Remember how she didn't like your wearing hats or Waddles?"

"True," replied Dipper, though in a bit of hesitance.

"She'll love it! It's gonna be so fun having all of us together!"

Dipper smiled at Mabel's endless positivity and continued sweeping the floors. While he was happy that all remaining members of the Pines family were together under one roof, he was beyond grateful that out of all of them, his beloved sister was still here.

A few hours later they heard the blaring of an obnoxious car horn. The four of them shared a sheepish smile at each other before heading out to meet Janice.

"GRAUNTY JANICE!" Dipper and Mabel called as they willingly bonded over to embrace her. They would never forget the nightmare she put them through last year, but she did seem repentant, and she was family. The last living piece of their dear mother, and as difficult as she could be at times they never wanted to lose her too. Afterall, she was family no matter what.

"Dipper! Mabel! Oh look at you two! Growing so big!" she said as she embraced the kids tightly.

Suddenly she got an anxious look on her face, "my goodness it's freezing out here! Let's get you two inside! Stanley! Stanford! Get my bags!"

Stan and Ford groaned as they stared at the multiple bags on top of her car.

"Oh boy! I call dibs on the light stuff!" Stan said.

"And how is that fair?" protested Ford.

"Because I called it and calling it is always fair!" said Stan jokingly. Ford rolled his eyes.

"We can help guys!" Dipper offered.

"Yeah Graunty Janice! Grunkle Stan says I have the strength of twenty girls!" Mabel said flexing her imaginary muscles.

"Oh no you two are in no condition to be doing any heavy lifting!" Janice persisted.

"What condition?" Mabel and Dipper asked confused.

"Never mind that…just come in, I want to hear all about your school!" Janice said as she shooed them away. The kids turned to look at their equally confused fathers.

Dipper and Mabel sat and made small talk with Janice while Ford and Stan lugged the luggage inside, huffing and moaning at their extreme weight.

"Geez Janice, you packing rocks in these bags?" Stan asked.

"Just my jewelry and make-up and other essentials for "roughing it" out here."

For a brief moment Stan got the con-man twinkle in his eyes.

"Don't even think about it Stanley!" Janice quipped.

"So….how have you two been feeling?" Janice questioned Dipper and Mabel.

"Great! Dipper and I just got check-ups and the docs said we are recovering from everything beautifully!"

"It's nothing short of miraculous given the conditions you live in."

"What's that supposed to mean Janice?" Stan growled.

"Nothing personal Stanley, but the air quality in this dusty old shack isn't exactly high-quality! Not to mention all the germs in those woods…this place probably should have been condemned ages ago!"

Mabel was about to mention that the shack was brand new after being replaced in the fire last year, but stopped herself. She knew Janice couldn't take her away anymore, but she didn't want to say anything to get her adoptive fathers in trouble.

Lucky for her, Dipper had a come back, "the air out here is better than the city Great Aunt Janice…in fact that's why mom and dad sent Mabel and I out here in the first place, to get some fresh air," Dipper said quietly. He felt a small stab of sadness remembering how he and Mabel hadn't been with their parents in their final months.

Janice noticed this too and got a little sad herself. She only became more upset upon getting a good look at Mabel's hair, which had grown into a bob identical to her mom's.

She decided to try and change the subject, "well, regardless of the condition the house is in it must be stated that this place isn't looking very festive! Where are all the lights? And the tinsel? And the tree?" Don't tell me you're too cheap for decorations Stanley!"

Stan was about to respond when Mabel cut him off, "we're not celebrating Christmas this year Graunty Janice! We're doing Hanukkah! See our menorah?"

Janice gave a tiny frown, "but…but what about Christmas? Didn't you celebrate that last year?"

Mabel beamed, "yeah! It was my idea! I wanted us to do like we used to at home! We would take turns! One year we would do Christmas for mom and then the next year Hanukkah for daddy and so on!"

"Besides, Stanley and I are technically Jewish and the kids were very insistent on celebrating authentically like we did with our parents," Ford added.

"Yeah, pass our memories on to _our kids_ ," Stan emphasized.

"Oh yes…I remember your father was one of…those," she said quietly.

"One of what exactly?" Stan started.

"I just mean….he didn't celebrate Christmas…."  
"Hanukkah is lots of fun too Graunty Janice! Here, wanna spin the Drediel?" Mabel offered.

"Perhaps later dear, I'm quite tired from my journey…I think I'll just retire for the evening. I trust my room is all made up?"  
"We put your things in the kids room," Ford answered plainly.

"It'll be fun Graunty Janice! We can have a sleepover!"

"I brought a lot of stuff…I hate to kick you both out but I-"

"It's fine, Mabel and I will stay with our dads!" Dipper insisted.

Stan and Ford smiled proudly at their son.

Janice just frowned as she headed up the stairs and out of sight.


	3. Ending the Cycle

Stan didn't want to be bothered by Janice. He knew that was just her personality, and that if he was allowed to be a gruff con man, then she should be allowed to be whatever she wanted to be.

Her words still stung him. Not so much the Jewish stuff, after all he was the farthest thing in the world from devout, but her comments about the shack and how she thought that it had _any part_ to play in Dipper and Mabel's health hit deep. He tried to convince himself that she was just a big-city snob who didn't know what she was talking about, but the tragic part was there was a part of him that believed she could be right.

He remembered those late nights sneaking chemicals into the shack to work on the portal. He had used extreme caution and any spills had been promptly cleaned and kept far away from the kids, but he couldn't shake the image of Dipper chopping wood in front of the shack and sneaking into the woods to post his signs and explore with Mabel.

He firmly believed that part of being a kid is testing your limits and exploring without adult interference. Still, there were many times that he was careless during those initial months, especially with Dipper. He wanted to blame his own father for his treatment of Dipper, but Stan had free will. He was a grown-man; he _knew_ that those rough tactics didn't really work. Not to mention that he had _seen_ Dipper the night he had been born. Connected to all these wires and tubes and being placed in what looked like a fish tank. He had promised the boy that night he would make sure that he would never have to be that helpless again. He had meant well of course, but his fear for Dipper had manifested into a coldness and harshness that had nearly caused the boy to emotionally abandon him like so many others in his life had.

Dipper had forgiven all of his transgressions of course, not only that, Dipper had risked his own life to save he and Ford. All Stan could think that night was that he had repaid Dipper for his loyalty by somehow causing his kidneys to shut down.

The thought was enough to almost make tears fall from his eyes, but before he had the chance-

"Dad?"

Dipper standing in his doorway with a small luggage snapped Stan out of his thinking.

"Hey kiddo…. planning to escape?" Stan teased.

Dipper smiled, "escape the attic at least…Janice packed more for three days than Mabel and I did for a whole summer!"

Stan managed a small laugh, "I ain't surprised! She's always been demanding. In fact, when your mom and pop got married she brought her own champagne, not to share mind you….just for her! And it was not even the cheap stuff. It was some expensive brand from Italy!"

Dipper looked amused so Stan decided to milk it a bit more. He cleared his throat and gave his best Janice impression, "if I'm gonna be caught at this hundred-dollar cheapskate wedding without a decent drink you're crazy! Of course, you're already pretty crazy for marrying that ragtag Pines man and his nutjob family!"  
Dipper started to laugh, but then looked sad, "she…really hated dad that much?"

Stan gently motioned for Dipper to come sit by his side. The boy complied and Stan put a gentle hand on his son's shoulders, "I don't think it was that she hated your dad…I think she just felt like she was losing your mom. She didn't stop to think of all she could gain…only what she was losing. I want to condemn her for doing that, but I know we Pines have never been high-class. I mean, you remember how the first week you and Mabel got here we just ate out cause I didn't have enough food at home to cook? And when I did it was always canned meat!"

Dipper laughed a bit, "Yeah, but to be fair, we didn't mind a diet of only pizza!"

Stan paused for a minute and then looked down at his son, "In a way, I understand her thinking now more than ever. In my mind there will never be anyone good enough for you and Mabel,"

"But you would accept whoever Mabel and I decide to marry….I know that you will,"

Stan was amused, "how do you know you know I won't tie them down in the basement and interrogate them until I'm certain they're good enough for you?"

"Cause you and Ford love Mabel and I no matter what, and even when you had a hard time of showing it…you've never hesitated to make sacrifices to make sure we were taken care of. You would let us marry whoever makes us happy."

Now Stan's eyes were full on watering, his son had no idea how bad he needed to hear those words.

He almost needed to hear them as much as what Dipper said next, "it wasn't your fault you know?"

Stan pretended to play dumb, "what wasn't my fault?"

"The kidney thing, I was a sickly kid before I came out here. I'd always be inside playing video games while Mabel was in fresh air. Mom and dad begged me to get some exercise when I came down, cause they knew…." Dipper's voice caught, "they knew I needed the fresh air….honestly staying here with you probably helped keep me healthy for longer than I would have if I had stayed in California. I'm convinced that I would have gotten sick no matter what, but thanks to you and Ford and Mabel I got better. You guys….Gravity Falls….Mabel….I'm convinced that it saved my life."

Stan was full on crying, but had no shame about it. He was so overcome with relief…with pride…with love for his amazing son. As the two of them embraced, Stan truly felt that at last, the Pines men cycle of abuse had finally come to a close.


	4. Forgiveness for Good

It had been hard for Ford to get used to sleeping in his own upstairs bedroom after shutting down the lab. He felt childish, but all of his technology and studies in the lab provided him with comfort. It made him feel secure and important, like he was worth something.

He knew that this mentality was silly, especially now. Being a father was the greatest thing he could have done with his life, but sometimes he felt like scientist Ford and father Ford could never co-exist. And often times, those two would have tug of wars in his subconscious, fighting to be the dominant Ford.

Janice had next to no effect on him. He didn't know the woman aside from their few encounters. Sure, those encounters hadn't been pleasant, but he had no history with the woman, so her insults didn't really sting him.

He didn't really need her to insult him directly; the scientist already insulted himself on a daily basis, especially in regards to his skills as a father.

Ford never said it out loud, but he blamed himself constantly for both of the kid's health scares, but especially Mabel's.

Dipper had said it many times over the course of her treatment, but Ford didn't need to be told that it was his fault Mabel had gotten sick.

He had sided with the doctor's throughout the entire donation process, blindly trusting them with both of his children. He should have researched more, he should have taken into consideration the side affects and risks, he should have sat down with Mabel and made certain she understood those risks, he should have tried harder to find someone else to donate their kidney.

Ford knew that even if he had sat down and talked with her over and over again, it would never have changed her mind. She was determined to donate her kidney to Dipper. But then, he also _hadn't_ talked to her about it at all. He and Stan were so concerned with caring for Dipper (and trying to get him to talk to them again) that they had left Mabel to navigate the decision on her own. And it almost cost them her life. Some nights his guilt for that had gotten so bad that he would have a reoccurring nightmare where Mabel cornered him and kept repeating the same awful thing.

" _I knew you loved him more, I knew you loved him more,"_

It was just another nightmare featuring Bill. Even though the triangle was long gone, Ford could still feel from time to time that he still had control over his life and his deepest fears. Ford had gone above and beyond to make amends for his earlier treatment of Mabel. They had father/daughter days where he would do whatever she liked. He had even submitted himself to make-overs (especially while she was undergoing chemo-therapy). It never felt like enough to him though. Ford always felt the damage he had done to Mabel was so deep that no matter what he did and no matter how many times she would tell him how much she loved him, Ford always felt that there was a part of Mabel that still saw him in a negative manner. All he could think of were those initial months, maybe it was because it mirrored how he had treated Stan for so much of their lives, and how he still lived with that guilt as well. Ford had always struggled to accept forgiveness; for the first half of his life it was because he felt incapable of making errors, and for the latter half it was because he knew that not only could he make errors, but they could be earth-shattering errors.

Ford was so lost in this new wave of self loathing that he didn't hear his door softly open.

"Daddy?"

Ford was startled to see his daughter standing in the doorway carrying a small suitcase nearly identical to Dipper's.

Ford rubbed his face to remove any trace of tears before addressing her, "Oh…hello, sweetheart! Did you get everything you need to bunk out until Hurricane Janice has passed?"

Mabel managed a light giggle, "she's not that bad. But…I wish she wouldn't force Waddles to sleep in the garage though…."

Ford smiled sympathetically, "it'll just be for a few days dear,"

"I know, but…part of me wants her to go home already, but another part of me kind of wishes she would stay….she kind of reminds me of a snobbier version of mom. Is that weird?"

"Not really, and even if it were, remember, weird is a Pines family gene, and one that I'm glad you have."

Mabel smiled as she sat by his side on the bed. She looked at the scientist intently for a long moment. She was like Stanley, in that she rarely paid close attention to things, but when she did, she was very astute.

"You know I don't blame you for what happened. You…you know that right?"

At first Ford didn't believe she had really pegged him, "what are you talking about?"

Mabel took a deep breath, "I know that some nights you don't sleep well, because you'll have bags under your eyes…at first I thought it was just regular insomnia like Dipper, but…I know you blame yourself for my cancer…some days when I brush my hair you look sad, and I know it's cause you didn't think I should have donated, and feel like that by letting me you got me sick."

Ford was stunned upon learning how observant she really was. He was speechless, but thankfully, he wouldn't have to speak right away.

"You know I was gonna donate no matter what. The doctor could have literally told me I would get cancer and die, and I still would have done it. You didn't get me sick, it was you and Grunkle Stan who made me better."

She grabbed his hands and squeezed them, "I know I probably can't convince you, but it wasn't your fault…okay?"

Ford still didn't have words as he held his precious daughter like he would never let her go.

After awhile Mabel finally whispered, "will you try to sleep tonight? For me?"

Ford held her closer and whispered back, "with you by my side, better than I have in years."


	5. The Proposal

"Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik ner shel Hanukkah." Dipper struggled through the Hebrew writing, but thanks to some linguistic lessons from Ford, he was able to successfully pray over the fourth candle on the Menorah.

Ford, Stan and Mabel were listening intently while Janice messed with a pocket mirror.

Stan was determined to ignore her; he had learned that this was generally the best way to deal with Janice.

"Nice praying there kiddo, doing us proud," he said as he ruffled his son's hair.

"Thanks, dad," Dipper beamed.

"Alright! Candles are lit, prayers have been said, time for round four of gifts!" Mabel said eagerly clapping her hands.

"It would just be easier to open all the gifts on one day, like Christmas," Janice mumbled.

Stan shot her a look that told her to drop it. She could have all the issues with he and Ford that she wanted, but she had no right to wreck Dipper and Mabel's holiday.

Mabel didn't let the comment deter her, "here Graunty Janice, since you have missed the first three days of Hanukah you can have the first gift of tonight!"

Janice smiled at the sweet girl as she took a gift and slowly opened it to find that Mabel had knitted her a Hanukah themed sweater with a Menorah and eight glittery lights.

Janice blushed, flustered and embarrassed, "thank you dear…I-I'll wear it later," she said stuffing it away.

Mabel looked like she wanted to cry, but before she had the chance Stan handed her a present, "here pumpkin, this one's for you!"

Mabel smiled grateful, "thanks Grunkle Stan!" she ripped up the paper eagerly and was delighted by what she found.

"OH SWEET A POCKET KNIFE!"

"You got her a weapon!?" Janice exclaimed.

"Yep, it was mine when I was a kid, I'll train you to use that thing pumpkin, it'll come in handy one day!"

"I LOVE IT! THANKS DAD!" she said embracing him.

"I fail to see how a weapon will come in handy to a lady! Especially one in her condition!"

"What condition do you keep talking about Graunty Janice?" Mabel said, finally starting to get put off by her great-aunt.

"Don't play dumb Mabel, do you not remember the condition you were in just months ago!?"

"Of course I remember, but I also remember getting better! I'm fine Graunty Janice…look, my hair is even growing back!" she said grabbing it.

"I noticed," Janice said, avoiding looking at her.

"I don't know why you aren't happy Janice," Dipper finally said.

Him calling her just Janice brought all of her attention to the boy.

Dipper looked like he slightly regretted talking back to her, so he slightly softened.

"I'm just saying, we have a lot to be grateful for this year," he said as he pulled his sister into a one-arm embrace.

Janice didn't have a response, so she did what she was best at, "Here…these are my _CHRISTMAS_ presents for you both, since we aren't celebrating that, you might as well have them now, if you'll excuse me…I want to retire for the evening….goodnight all!" she said rushing upstairs.

"What a Grinch," Ford muttered rolling his eyes.

Dipper and Mabel had lost their festive spirit and they asked their father's for permission to head to bed as well.

The old men knew that any hope of salvaging the rest of tonight was a lost cause, so they agreed.

That night Mabel bunked with Stan and Dipper with Ford, The boy had something on his mind to ask his father.

"Dad?" Dipper started.

"Yes, son,"

Dipper took a deep breath, "does Janice hate Jewish people?"

Ford stopped in his tracks and looked directly at his son, it broke his heart to think that despite not being devout, he was about to have to explain anti-semitism to his dear son.

"Hate is a strong term Dipper…I don't think she hates Jewish people, I just think that she is so set in her own traditions that it can be hard for her to accept that others don't share those traditions, or have their own."

This gave Dipper an idea, "why don't we bring some of her traditions back to her? We can celebrate both Christmas and Hanukah you know!? Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, so it's last minute, but not too late! We could get a Christmas tree, and if I tell Mabel she could decorate the house and make her happy!"

Ford smiled at his tender-hearted child, "it's a nice gesture Dipper, but I'm afraid we may have missed the boat on it…I'm sure all the decent trees are taken and-"

"You and I can go out in the woods and chop one down!" Dipper said energetically. "Stan taught me how to chop wood our first summer here and we can carry it back and-"

"Hold on there Dipper…I'm not sure that's a good idea…the weather's calling for a lot of snow tomorrow. They're saying it's supposed to be bad and it could be dangerous…"

Dipper gave him a sly smile, "oh come on, the world-renowned Dr. Pines is afraid of a little snow?" he teased.

"pffft…don't be absurd. I don't fear anything! Well…well except something happening to you or Mabel,"

"Nothing's gonna happen Grunkle Ford…besides…. the first night of Hanukkah I recall receiving a coupon for "any excursion I wanted" and this is what I want."

Ford managed a small smile, "forget studying the supernatural. You should go to law school!"

Dipper laughed as Ford ruffled his hair, "alright son, we'll go tomorrow."


	6. O Christmas Tree

Ford and Dipper set off first thing in the morning, and when Mabel heard the plan she immediately started decorating the shack top to bottom while Janice slept.

"Isn't this exciting? We're like secret Christmas decorating elves!" she said as she took some tinsel from Stan who had submitted to being her decorative assistant.

"Uh-huh, decorating for a regular troll…" Stan said with an eye roll.

"Mom and dad always told us to be the positivity you want to see in the world, even when others don't follow along!" Mabel said, clearly intending to pay no mind to any cruel talk about her aunt.

"Hey, who's the parent in this situation?" Stan teased as he noogied her head and made her giggle

At that moment Janice came downstairs and appeared shocked at the state of the shack.

"What's all this?" she asked.

"IT'S CHRISTMAS GRAUNTY JANICE!" Mabel said throwing the leftover decor around like confetti snow.

"Oh my word…you didn't have to do all this!" Janice said, clearly quite pleased that they had.

"Your attitude didn't really give us a choice," Stan quipped.

"What Grunkle Stan means is that we wanted to!" Mabel corrected quickly.

"Well this is so nice! But where are Dipper and Stanford?" she asked.

"Out getting a Christmas tree…straight from the forest…"

"Ohhh how wonderful! This will be the perfect Christmas!"  
-

"Now if this is going to be the perfect Christmas, it needs a perfect Christmas tree…" Dipper said as he walked ahead of Ford and observed the multitude of trees amidst the snowy Oregon landscape.

"I would just prefer we find it before this snow gets much heavier…" Ford said glancing nervously at the sky.

"Everything's gonna be fine Grunkle Ford! Now help me pick a tree!" Dipper said.

Ford had to admit the boy's enthusiasm was heartwarming. There were times that the boy seemed to be almost fully grown, but watching him frolic in the snow reminded Ford that he was still a kid. The old Stanford Pines would have thought it frivolous for a boy with so much knowledge and potential to be wasting time acting like a child, but father Ford adored it, and secretly hoped it wouldn't end.

"What about this one Dipper? It'll be easy to carry back!" Ford said noting a tiny tree that could easily be carried back.

"Yeah, but you know that Janice says bigger is better!" Dipper said.

"Honestly I feel like we are all going too far trying to please the woman…" Ford said.

"I know, but she's family and well…Mabel and I don't have much of that left you know…" Dipper said quietly.

Ford rubbed the boys hair and gave him a small smile, "alright then, let's get the best tree ever!"

After a while of searching, the two of them came across the perfect tree. It was large but not too large, with branches that outstretched long enough to be filled with balls and tinsel and popcorn. Dipper was convinced Janice would love it, and that would be the key to the best Christmas ever.

"Alright, let's get this bad boy chopped down!" Ford said.

The two worked together and while Ford had trained and observed Dipper carefully on using the chainsaw, sometimes things could go very wrong.

A mighty gust of wind began to blow at just the wrong moment…. spelling disaster….

"DIPPER!"


	7. Intuition

The poor boy didn't even have time to scream. The tree landed right on top of him, essentially crushing him underneath its weight.

Ford went into instant protector mode and thanks to the extra strength given to him by the sheer adrenaline of seeing his child in trouble, was able to throw the tree off his son's body.

Dipper was physically shaking and his whole body was covered in bruises. Ford had no doubt there was internal bleeding going on.

"Dipper! Dipper…son, answer me Dipper!" Ford pleaded as tears began to fill his eyes.

To his relief Dipper shifted his gaze up to him, "da…dad…I…I'm sorry dad…" the boy choked out.

"Shhh…it's going to be alright son, I promise you, everything will be alright." Ford assured as he wrapped the child in his jacket in order to shield him from the elements.

He then reached for his cellphone, but was horrified to discover there was no cell service out here. He wanted so badly to get upset, to freak out, there was even a part of him who wanted to outwardly say it was stupid to go out in this treacherous weather, but that wouldn't help his son in any way.

Right now his biggest priority was keeping Dipper awake and warm until help could come along. He figured getting a fire going would be the best place to start. It could warm him and Dipper, while also alerting anyone in the nearby area of their presence.

Lucky for him, the forest was covered with twigs and pieces of spare wood, so that Ford could remain right beside Dipper while finishing the task.

Once the fire was going, he cradled the boy in his arms, wanting to give Dipper all the extra heat that he could. The boy appeared to be drifting in and out of consciousness, which terrified the Ford.

"No bud…you need to stay awake for me," he ordered…. he even pleaded.

"It's all my fault!" Dipper lamented between gasps of breath.

"No son, it was just an accident, it's not your fault."

Dipper looked at his father with tears of terror for what could happen filling his eyes.

"I'm scared Daddy," he whimpered.

"It's alright son…I'm here…daddy's here," it was all Ford could say at the moment.

He just had to pray someone would find them soon.

Meanwhile, in a completely different set of circumstances, Stan, Janice, and Mabel were in the middle of the most peace they had experienced in days. Decorating the house had cheered Janice right up, and her more jovial mood had calmed Stan's nerves too. It made Mabel feel like her family was coming together again. All seemed to be going well.

But two valuable members of the family had yet to return home.

Quite suddenly Mabel felt what seemed like a punch in the gut. Her twin instance, almost like a 6th sense kicked in. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. Dipper was in trouble.

"Grunkle Stan…we gotta go find Ford and Dipper!" she suddenly demanded.

"Oh Mabel, I'm sure they're fine. Finding a tree takes time!" Janice said.

"And you know how much of a perfectionist Ford is? He'll probably be boring Dipper to death right now with some lecture about how this tree is better than the others but not perfect enough," said Stan mockingly. If he knew what was really going on, he'd probably not have said that.

"No! They're in trouble! I feel it in my gut…like a twin sense!" Mabel said as she silently pleaded that the twin inside Stan would understand.

"That's the silliest thing I've ever heard!" Janice quipped.

"No! It's true! Grunkle Stan…please…trust me!" she pleaded, staring at hime straight in the eyes.

Something in her eyes told Stan that she was serious, truth be told he was concerned too. Besides, after all the times Mabel had trusted him, he had no reason to not give her the same courtesy.


	8. Finding Room

Ford thought about carrying Dipper out of the woods and to the nearest hospital. It seemed like the most logical solution. The longer they spent out here, the lower Dipper's chances of survival would get. But they had walked for hours and perhaps miles out and while Ford had grown older in the years since adopting Dipper and Mabel the kids had grown bigger. Maybe back then he could have but nowadays, he could carry them for short periods at a time. Add onto the howling wind and flurries of snow, he had concluded that their safest option would be to stay put and wait for help.

"It really hurts…" Dipper whimpered.

"I know buddy, I know, but help will be here soon…I promise," said Ford. But deep down, he had no idea if that was true, but he had to keep Dipper hopeful.

"This is such a waste of time," Janice mumbled as Stan trudged through the snow in the Stan-mobile. He was now regretting not buying those snow tires as Ford had begged him to do.

"No it's not Janice…just think of it this way, with the Stan-mobile we can get your precious Christmas tree home faster," Stan sarcastically quipped. Quite frankly, he was wanting to tie her up onto the roof just so he could have a few moments to drive in peace and quiet.

"Well excuse me for wanting to give my niece and nephew a _traditional_ Christmas!"

"We were happy celebrating Hanukah…" Mabel eventually managed to whisper.

"Oh Mabel you simply thought that you were happy…but everyone knows that Christmas is the superior holiday!"

"Why does one have to be any better than the other? Can't we just celebrate both without criticizing the other?" Mabel asked.

"Because bigots like Janice have to think that the way they do things is better than everyone else's way of doing things and if we don't follow them, we're the wrong ones!" Stan outright stated.

"I am not a bigot! I just know what I like! What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing's wrong with it Graunty Janice, but why does everyone have to like what you like? We have as much of a right to like what we want as you do. What's best for you may not be what's best for everyone. Dad used to say that our differences are what makes us the strongest."

"Well…I think that your father was wrong…" Janice said quietly.

Mabel was finally starting to have anger build in her very loving heart. Janice could get away with saying many things, but when it came to her father, Mabel was finding it harder and harder to not burst that built up anger out.

"Well…I think he was right! And so did my mother!" Mabel said in a passive aggressive tone.

"Don't you think that I know that Mabel? I am fully aware of the choice she made! She chose him over me! I'm fully aware that I lost…I lost her long before she passed away! I just didn't want to lose you and Dipper the same way…" she managed as her voice cracked and she began to cry.

Mabel felt the anger in her wither away as she heard that.

"You didn't have to lose her Graunty Janice…She didn't want to lose you, she just wanted to share you with our dad, and with me and Dipper. It's you who didn't want to make any changes…it makes us feel like you love your traditions and yourself more than you love Dipper and I. Why can't there be enough room in your heart for all of us? Not just for mom, but for dad, Stan and Ford and Christmas and Hanukah? Why do they have to be at war with each other? Why can't we all be friends? Why can't the world just learn to get along?!"

Janice wished that she had an adequate answer for the girl, but she knew that she didn't. What she did know was that she suddenly had a deep urge to at the very least find Dipper. Deep down, even she was beginning to worry. She may end up alone at the end of this holiday, but she wanted to be alone with the knowledge that those she loved were safe. After all, they were the only family she now had left.


	9. New Memories

"And that's the story of how I captured my first leprechaun," Ford said, he was trying desperately to keep Dipper awake by recounting exciting stories from the journal, but the boy was losing his strength rapidly.

"so tired…so cold," Dipper whimpered, his lips were turning blue, time was running out.

"Dipper…please son…I can't lose you!" Ford pleaded. He glanced up towards the sky and began praying one of the traditional Jewish prayers his mother used to pray.

" _Mi Shebeirach avoteinu v'imoteinu,  
Avraham, Yitzchak v'Yaakov, Sarah, Rivkah,  
Rachel v'Lei-ah, hu y'vareich et hacholim  
[names]. HaKadosh Baruch Hu yimalei  
rachamim aleihem, l'hachalimam ul'rapotam  
ul'hachazikam, v'yishlach lahem m'heirah  
r'fuah, r'fuah shleimah min hashamayim,  
r'fuat hanefesh ur'fuat haguf, hashta  
baagala uviz'man kariv. V'nomar: Amen."_

As soon as Ford muttered amen he saw two headlights in the distance and frantically started waving it down.

"HOLY MOSES!" Stan shouted as soon as he recognized Ford and the distressed Dipper he rushed from his car and began sprinting towards them.

"STANLEY!" Ford exclaimed, he had been happy to see his brother in the past, but never as much as he was in that moment.

"Sixer! What the hell happened? Oh! Explain on the way, help me get the kid to the car, we gotta get you to a hospital!" Stan said as he gathered the boy into his arms and carried him off.

In that moment Ford felt a weight lift off of him, call it divine peace or whatever, but he knew in that moment Dipper would be all right.

He actually tried to go ahead and lift the tree that had caused them so much grief, but Janice of all people called out.

"Honestly Stanford!? Forget that stupid tree! It doesn't matter!"

Ford couldn't argue with that as he hopped in the car and Stan sped towards the hospital, there were no snow tires on earth that could match the speed of a scared father and they reached help in no time.

While Dipper was being checked out his four very different, but very similarly worried family members sat in the waiting area. Stan brought over hot chocolate, but everyone knew that no one would drink it.

Mabel finally broke through the silence, "Graunty Janice? Why do you care so much about having a traditional Christmas?"

Janice was shocked at the nature of the question given everything that was going on, but she figured the girl deserved an answer.

"When your mother was a girl…she loved Christmas so much. She used to help me decorate my house top to bottom with tinsel and wreaths and a big Christmas tree. We would have so much fun together. Then, she married your father and…suddenly she picked this whole new culture, this whole new life, and well…I thought if I could maybe celebrate Christmas with you and Dipper, I could somehow relive those memories now that she's…gone."

Mabel placed her hand over Janice's, she was still upset about everything that had happened but at least now she had a better understanding of where Janice came from.

"Memories aren't meant to be recreated Graunty Janice. That's why they are memories, but you can keep making new ones,"

Janice managed a smile at the child wise beyond her years, "I know that now dear…I just hope that I can make more…with you…and Dipper," Janice started shaking.

Mabel had tears in her eyes, but forced a confident smile, "Dipper's a tough cookie…he'll be fine."

The three adults tried giving her reassuring smiles to show that they agreed with her, but you could still cut the tension in the room with a knife.

At that moment, the doctor emerged and was subsequently bombarded.

"Where's my son?" Ford asked.

"Is he okay?" Stan pleaded.

"How bad is it?' Janice inquired.

"Can I see him?" Mabel begged.

The doctor smiled and in rapid succession answered the questions, "He's resting in the back, he's fine, a few bad scrapes and a lot of tenderness but otherwise he's going to be just fine, and of course you can."

He led them back to the boy's room and sure enough he was bandaged up, but sitting up straight and looking like he was feeling much better.

Mabel bonded over and hugged his head tight, so not to harm his tender body. Stan took his hand, Ford stroked his hair, and Janice just looked ashamed.

"I'm okay Graunty Janice, I'm not contagious," the boy kidded.

"I'm sorry about the tree…' he finally said.

That was what broke Janice into tears, 'oh Dipper, I'm the one whose sorry…I'm so very sorry…for everything…."

She looked at the four of them; they looked so happy together….so natural. She suddenly felt like such an intrusion on that happiness.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your Hanukkah…it was close-minded of me, and yes Stanley, it was bigoted as well. I guess, I just…tried to force something for my own gain. It was selfish of me…I know that now…. I can just go and leave you all to your festivities." She said as she turned towards the door.

"Graunty Janice….please stay…we want to celebrate with you. You are our family." Dipper pleaded from his bed.

Janice smiled as she remembered her niece's words on memories, and suddenly she knew what to do.

"I'm leaving, but just for a bit…I'll be back soon!"

She returned an hour later with the menorah from home, and proudly wearing Mabel's Hanukkah sweater.

"Now we can celebrate right here! What is tonight the….fifth night?"  
"That's right Graunty Janice! Do you wanna light it?"

That's just what she did, and there in that cramped hospital room, she made some of the happiest memories she had made in a long time, and looked forward to many more to come.


End file.
